With Messi from the off, this could be Argentina’s team to face Iceland | OneFootball

The Argentina National Team had another training session with its mind set on the friendly against Iceland, which will be played on Tuesday, June 9 at 10:00 p.m. in Alabama. The match will be Lionel Scaloni’s team’s last test before its World Cup opener against Algeria, scheduled for June 16 in Kansas City.

The main news from training was Nico Paz’s return to work with the rest of the squad and the possibility that Exequiel Palacios could break into the starting lineup for the World Cup debut.

As journalist Diego Monroig confirmed on ESPN, the attacking midfielder trained alongside his teammates after several days of recovery and is now available to the coaching staff for the friendly against the European side. And during Monday’s broadcast of Buenos Días ESPN, Monroig himself raised the possibility that the Bayer Leverkusen player could be part of the team that starts the World Cup on Tuesday, June 16 against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

In addition, Leo Paradizo, reporting from the United States, said that Lionel Messi would start and that Scaloni could give Nico Paz minutes in the friendly against Iceland so he arrives at the World Cup opener with match fitness.

Just a few days before the start of the World Cup, the coaching staff is closely monitoring the progress of several players dealing with physical issues.

One of the most important cases is Emiliano Martínez, who is still recovering from a fracture to the ring finger of his right hand. For that reason, everything indicates that Gerónimo Rulli will be the starting goalkeeper against Iceland in the final friendly before the World Cup. Santiago Beltrán could also get minutes again.

Others who rejoined group training were Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel, who are now available to the coach. Given this scenario, Nicolás Capaldo appears as one of the options Scaloni is considering for that side of the field. In addition, Agustín Giay, who started and delivered a good performance against Honduras, remains a valid alternative for the coach as well.

Another player who continues to improve is Leandro Paredes. In that context, Exequiel Palacios is gaining more and more ground in the coaching staff’s plans. The midfielder was one of the standout performers in the win over Honduras and is now seriously fighting for a place among the starters ahead of the opener against Algeria. Initially, the Boca midfielder seemed to be one of the players destined to fill that area of midfield, but the physical discomfort he has been dealing with forced Scaloni to rethink things and assess new alternatives to accompany the usual starters in the middle of the pitch, according to the reporter.

Meanwhile, Julián Álvarez’s situation is causing less concern, and everything points to him being fit in time for the start of the World Cup.

In addition, the coaching staff still has to decide who will replace Leonardo Balerdi, whose injury left him out of the final squad for the tournament.

Argentina’s possible lineup against Iceland

Although Scaloni has not confirmed the team, the friendly in Alabama could serve to take a look at some players hoping to earn a place among the starters.

A likely lineup would be Gerónimo Rulli; Nicolás Capaldo or Agustín Giay, Nicolás Otamendi, Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Tagliafico; Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Exequiel Palacios, Lionel Messi and

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.